You might be able to contest that letter. I got one of those a few years ago and managed to get the charges reversed. That was then though, things might be different now.

I didn't get one of those letters, but when I just checked my latest bill, I noticed that Comcast removed 2 of my 4 customer owned device credits on Oct 8, so now I'm only getting a $5 credit instead of $10 (I.e. $5 more a month). They also back charged me $7 for the difference.

I'm not sure why they did this as the number of devices on my account is the same. My bill says I have 3 cableCards, which hasn't changed. I actually have 4, but 2 are in my S3, so maybe they are counting that as one. I'd call and complain, but I don't want to get socked with outlet fees. I'll probably call in March when my current promo ends and my bill will shoot up $60 a month anyway.

Edit:

On their web site I see a $5 credit added on November 14 so I really have no idea what they are doing.

they messed with my customer equipment credits recently too- i think that's a prelude to messing with the whole thing- I'd brace yourself for the letter any day now. And start thinking about your options.

Oddly i have some oddball credits recently too. $5 on the 17th. $0.19 on the 17th. $4.77 without a date. I'm guessing perhaps a goodwill credit for the hurricane? And/or they're going through everything trying to make everyone pay the same?

In the end I think it's a matter of time till everyone is getting socked the same. First cablecard/device will be free. $2.50 credit for customer owned equipment per device. ~$10 a month additional outlet fee for every device in the house beyond the fist one- for cablecard or cable leased euipment- only exception being the discount DTA's.

I can only speak for myself, but I doubt anyone here has been begging Comcast to jack up their fees on everyone else just so we can feel better about our own plight. Quite the opposite, I've been urging them to rethink their policy regarding the $10 monthly CC charge not just based on the FCC guidelines but also in terms of long-term corporate benefits, such as customer retention. (Of course, I'm also hoping to get a pony for Christmas.)

I think you give Comcast far too much credit here; their patchwork billing procedures are so convoluted there is bound to be a scattering of customers who will still be billed at lesser CC charges for a long time to come!

I support your basic point, but I believe your emphasis is misdirected. The new CC rules, as I understand them, were intended to facilitate the marketability of devices such as TiVo in competition with the MSO's. The standardized fee structure--which is really only a guideline, not a strict mandate--is probably the most consumer-friendly aspect of the rules. But it's not surprising that Comcast's phalanx of lawyers found a way around the guidelines.

The problem with the FCC is not so much in the new rules (which represent a compromise between competing corporate interests) but rather in weak enforcement and, even more broadly, underemphasis on consumer protection. But that's just a subset of our current system of government, which is more responsive to deep-pocketed special interests than to the general populace.

Besides venting here like the rest of us, you can fight back by (1) cancelling your service and telling Comcast why you are leaving them for a competitor, or (2) writing to your Congressman, or (3) asking TiVo to counterattack at the FCC, or (4) organizing your own "special interest group" to lobby Washington, or (and here's a really radical proposal) (5) stop voting corporate toadies into government!!

not trying to be argumentative- but what you and the rest of the complainers dont get is that cablecard and additional outlet fees are TWO DIFFERENT ISSUES.

Once comcast gets through unifying their billion systems cablecards will be free (at least the first per device)

Tivo's, or even cablecard devices, are NOT the only thing getting nailed additional outlet fees. Comcast charges those fees to their own leased equipment. (they give people with their own equipment a $2.50 credit- that's probably the point to argue- does a cable cox rental really ONLY cost comcast 2.50 or are we saving them more money...)

It's all a long time ago- but my basic recollection is like 30 years ago (all rough numbers) cable charged per TV connected even if it was your own analog tv, then like 20 years ago the government made that illegal (although DBS was allowed to charge "mirroring" fees per box). Then like 10 years ago cable whined that if DBS could do it, why couldn't they, and they had the laws/regulations changed to allow "additional outlet fees" for digital outlets. Now that comcast has just about gotten everyone on digital they're working on charging everyone theses fees (as they get their systems all in line).

this isn't about tivo or cablecards it's about the congress critters allowed the fees for everyone and now comcast is going to take advantage and charge what the market will bear.

But anyway- to your point- I brought back 2 cablecards to cut the fees and filled out a survey and let them know the excessive fees were why.

not trying to be argumentative- but what you and the rest of the complainers dont get is that cablecard and additional outlet fees are TWO DIFFERENT ISSUES.

Nope, not so. Comcast is SUBSTITUTING the AO charge for the CC fee; therefore, it is analogous to a $10 CC fee. The proof is that my line-item CC charge was removed from my bill concurrent with the imposition of the AO fee. So what am I paying Comcast for the two CC's I am renting from them? Answer: $10 (first one being free IAW their published fee schedule). It is irrelevant how Comcast disguises it; they increased the charge for that second CC from $1.50 to $9.95.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelK

But anyway- to your point- I brought back 2 cablecards to cut the fees and filled out a survey and let them know the excessive fees were why.

Way to go! I also contemplate returning my second CC once I start having to pay the increased fees. (As I stated earlier, I succeeded in obtaining offsetting compensation for the first 12 months of $10 CC fees in addition to six months of free HBO/SHO/STARZ.) This is another argument I gave in writing to Comcast's corporate rep for the wrongheadedness of their policy: as far as consumers like me are concerned, the result of their unreasonable new CC fees will actually be LESS revenue rather than more, in addition to alienating an otherwise satisfied customer!

My main complaint isn't even about the money; it's the duplicity of their policies and what it bodes for the future.

BTW, if you think those $10 AO fees aren't going to be raised incrementally every year or so, I've got a dry parcel of land in lower Manhattan to sell you!

Nope, not so. Comcast is SUBSTITUTING the AO charge for the CC fee; therefore, it is analogous to a $10 CC fee. The proof is that my line-item CC charge was removed from my bill concurrent with the imposition of the AO fee. So what am I paying Comcast for the two CC's I am renting from them? Answer: $10 (first one being free IAW their published fee schedule). It is irrelevant how Comcast disguises it; they increased the charge for that second CC from $1.50 to $9.95.

Some other data points in support:

They added the ADO fee to my account the day I picked it up, even though I waited more than a month before activating it.

In my account, there is nothing that distinguishes a CableCARD from a Cable box, except serial number.

Their official charge sheet says $0 for the first card in any device while in fact the charges are all over the place, the ultimate being the ADO fee minus the User Owned Equipment credit (which in my case at least, had to be explicitly requested). There is absolutely NO indication on the rate sheet that having a CableCARD will incur the ADO fee.

Tivo's, or even cablecard devices, are NOT the only thing getting nailed additional outlet fees. Comcast charges those fees to their own leased equipment. (they give people with their own equipment a $2.50 credit- that's probably the point to argue- does a cable cox rental really ONLY cost comcast 2.50 or are we saving them more money...)

This is part of the problem - they're essentially charging us $7.50 a month for each extra card, which is ridiculous and has no comparison to the cost of a box. They're just getting around it by calling it an outlet fee, but regardless according to the FCC it should be a reasonable card rental and clearly it is not.

This is part of the problem - they're essentially charging us $7.50 a month for each extra card, which is ridiculous and has no comparison to the cost of a box. They're just getting around it by calling it an outlet fee, but regardless according to the FCC it should be a reasonable card rental and clearly it is not.

You've concisely framed the issue.

And you can be sure that a prime motivator behind this new fee structure was explicitly to counteract the long-term cost benefit of TiVo for those customers who were willing to purchase a third-party device rather than rent Comcast's POS DVR.

I just got my latest bill and am now getting hit with a full outlet fee for each extra card - before now I had one extra at $1.50 and another at $9.95. Now they're both $9.95 minus the credits.

Looks like I'll be taking a trip to my local Comcast gulag to return a card for an old Tivo HD I'm currently not using, plus a DTA that they gave to us for free and now charge $1.99 a month for.

Comcast sucks for billing, I love their service otherwise.

+1

But before you hand back that equipment, I have another suggestion. If you haven't done so already--and assuming you don't mind taking the time and trouble to start a communication chain--try sending off an e-mail to Rick Germano, Comcast SVP for Customer Relations. You and I are in the same geographic service area and, if my experience is any indication, you can expect a personal response from the Atlanta corporate rep, Archie Jackson. Archie is a caring professional and, while he is not going to be able to waive the new fee policy, he has the authority to offer you compensation to mitigate the increased costs. If you are courteous but firm and emphasize how happy you are with the service otherwise (like me), then it's an easy win-win for them to respond with some sort of ameliorating gesture to keep you as a satisfied (if slightly disgruntled) customer.

Here's the web page for your communication. Just click on the hyperlink "Send an e-mail to Rick Germano" at the bottom of the page and fill out the on-line form. It couldn't hurt; and at the very least Comcast's customer relations department will have more grist for their "is what we're doing worth pissing off dedicated customers" mill.

be sure to call the cabelcard toll free number posted earlier in this thread. the normal CSR's are clueless. (But they will at least give you the cablecard number to call- apparently it's so not part of the regular food chain that they can't even transfer).

I got a call within a couple of days and was able to extend my current double play promo for another year, so that's good. They can't do anything about the outlet charges for extra cards though, so I will be returning a card and a DTA.

I got a call within a couple of days and was able to extend my current double play promo for another year, so that's good. They can't do anything about the outlet charges for extra cards though, so I will be returning a card and a DTA.

Great! Thanks for reporting back. At least you were given some consideration for your effort, and that offsets part of the increased costs--whether you absorb them or avoid them by reducing your number of CableCARDs.

Now let's all write to TiVo and urge them to contest Comcast's actions at the FCC. Better to light a candle (under TiVo's ass) than to curse the darkness (of Comcast's corporate heart).

When I get the Tivo DVR, can I just take the cable card from my Comcast DVR, and put it in the Tivo? From what I've read, I think that's what I can do, but would like to confirm.

I also called a Comcast rep and he/she seemed to confirm that I could do that. But he/she also said I might need to go to a Comcast store, and have them confirm whether the cable card can be transferred to the Tivo.

I do any configuring that Tivo requires, then I call Comcast so they can do the pairing on their end.

I can then return the Comcast DVR to a Comcast store.

Does that sound right? Does this take very long, say 30-60 minutes or less?

if that cablecard is usable, it takes a few minutes (about 5) for the Tivo to remap channel numbers. most channels will work now. the premium channels such as HBO require the pairing. call up the Tivo cablecard screen, call Comcast CC activation and read some numbers from the screen. once you talk to someone, it takes 5 minutes tops.

You'll need to return the Comcast DVR and get a cablecard instead, then call the Comcast activation number that they give you after you insert the card and run through Tivo's guided setup. You cannot use the card in the Comcast DVR, and returning it for a card may give you a nice bill decrease anyway.

I don't think you can remove a cable card from a Comcast box. Mine, anyway, are sealed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by morac

I'm pretty sure you aren't allowed to move a cableCard from a Comcast DVR to a TiVo DVR because Comcast pairs them to the DVR at the warehouse.

Also like you said, they seal the card inside the Comcast DVR with a faceplate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowbiscuit

You'll need to return the Comcast DVR and get a cablecard instead, then call the Comcast activation number that they give you after you insert the card and run through Tivo's guided setup. You cannot use the card in the Comcast DVR, and returning it for a card may give you a nice bill decrease anyway.

Thanks. I called Comcast again and they confirmed what you said.

They said I should go to the Comcast store, return the DVR, get a new cable card, and insert that into the Tivo.

So do I have to tell them I want a M stream card, so it will let me use the 4-tuner capability?

So do I have to tell them I want a M stream card, so it will let me use the 4-tuner capability?

They're supposed to provide a m-card unless you specifically request an s-card but it wouldn't hurt to ask for the m-card. If it is like mine, it will be in a clear plastic container so you should be able to verify that it is an m-card before you leave the counter.

Has anyone been able to pick up a cable card at a local Comcast office for an elderly relative who lives at a different address? I got my parents a refurb Premier for Christmas and I don't want to spoil the surprise and also don't want to burden them with any additional install costs or the hassle of going to the Comcast office. Basically, I'd like to pick up the cablecard on my own and bring it over their house to pair it even though their account is in their name at their address.

My Dad ended up going to the local Comcast office and picked up an m card himself. I called Comcast last night at 7 PM to get the thing paired and everything was working in about 10 minutes. Considering the number of problems I've read about Comcast screwing up, I'm pretty fortunate that both of my cable card experiences with them have been quite positive. (hopefully I'm not jinxing myself here).

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My Dad ended up going to the local Comcast office and picked up an m card himself. I called Comcast last night at 7 PM to get the thing paired and everything was working in about 10 minutes. Considering the number of problems I've read about Comcast screwing up, I'm pretty fortunate that both of my cable card experiences with them have been quite positive. (hopefully I'm not jinxing myself here).

Quote:

Originally Posted by nuraman00

Thanks. I called Comcast again and they confirmed what you said.

They said I should go to the Comcast store, return the DVR, get a new cable card, and insert that into the Tivo.

So do I have to tell them I want a M stream card, so it will let me use the 4-tuner capability?

Ok, I set up my Tivo yesterday.

* Went to the Comcast store to return my DVR. They said the wait was 45 minutes. It took 1 hr 40 minutes.

* During the guided Setup, I called the number the Comcast store rep gave me on the receipt, to activate my cable card. After they said they had activated it, it still wasn't working. It was still unable to get the channel info.

Still on the phone, they were trying to help when I got disconnected.

I called again. This time, they had me download updates from Tivo, have my Tivo restarted, and have those updates installed. Yet after all of this, I still was unable to get the channel info. One part of the setup process said it could take 45-60 minutes, so they said to call back if I was still unable to get the channel info.

Shortly after I hung up, it finished, so it had only taken a few minutes. But I still wasn't able to get the channel info.

I called again. Then they realized that they had given me the wrong number to call to activate my cable card. They said there's a special group that handles cable card activation. So I called the number they told me this time.

After calling the right number, I was able to get it activated and finish the guided setup.

OK, I just spent the last several hours reading the last 15 - 20 pages from this topic. I'm trying to decide how to choose my best option with Tivo/Comcast.

Background: Current Comcast customer that is unhappy with how much monthly cable is running. Looking at my total Comcast bills over the past 1.5 years my rate has doubled without ANY change in service. I'm currently being charged the following:
1 HD DVR at $16.95 / mo
Digital Preferred at $86.49 / mo
2 DTA boxes at $0 / mo
Xfinity Internet (CHSI 2-3) plus Blast at $58.95 / mo
Total with taxes and fees is > $170 / mo !!! I can't believe it's costing me over $2,000 per year just to watch TV (well, and have internet).

The Xfinity TV service provides HD to ONE TV in the house while two other TVs receive the DTA conversion (crappy). My other TV is currently not connected to Comcast and only gets online content (Hulu, Netflix, etc).

I considered Tivo a few years back but was not enticed by the fiascos I had read regarding CableCards. I was hoping times have changed. I'm trying to compare a couple of scenarios to see what my options would be.

Scenario 1. Return Comcast's HD DVR and replace it with a Tivo Premiere. No other change to service. From what I can tell this would net a $16.95 / mo savings from Comcast but remove On Demand (until that feature is rolled out in my area). However, I would replace the $16.95 / mo charge to Comcast with a $15 / mo sub to Tivo.
Net savings $1.95 / mo with only a loss of On Demand plus the upfront cost of the Tivo unit.

Scenario 2. Return Comcast's HD DVR and replace it with a Tivo Premiere and add HD STB (no DVR) to additional TV. From what I can tell, this would reduce my Comcast bill by only $8.20 / mo (additional digital outlet in my area is quoted at $8.75 / mo). Add $15 / mo sub to Tivo.
Net increase of $6.8 / mo but now have HD on additional TV and no loss of On Demand (on one TV).

Does this sound about right? Any other options I could consider? I just don't know how Comcast can keep increasing their rates for the same service...